The State Board of Elections is the state agency charged with overall responsibility for administration of the elections process and campaign finance disclosure in North Carolina. Press inquiries should be directed to our public information officer, Josh Lawson, at 919-715-9194 or joshua.lawson@ncsbe.gov.

PHOTO ID

In 2016, North Carolina will require that voters
present an acceptable photo ID at the polls in order to cast a regular ballot. Click here for a list of
acceptable IDs. If you do not have an
acceptable photo ID, you can get one for free at the DMV. For information and help obtaining documents,
click here or call
1-866-522-4723.

There are a number of exceptions to the photo ID
requirement, including an opportunity for voters to sign a declaration stating
that a reasonable impediment prevents the voter from obtaining acceptable photo
ID. Click here for additional
details and a list of other exceptions to the photo ID requirement.

The new photo ID requirement is not in effect for the 2015 Municipal
Elections. The photo ID requirement is the subject of ongoing litigation in
state and federal court. Please check back at this website for updates.

SAME-DAY REGISTRATION

Eligible individuals may register and vote during the
one-stop early voting period. This “same-day
registration” process is the subject of ongoing litigation in federal court. Please check back at this website for updates.
Click here to check your
voter registration status.

OUT-OF-PRECINCT VOTING

Voters who appear on Election Day in the correct county but in
the improper precinct may cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted for all
contests in which the voter was eligible to participate. This “out-of-precinct
voting” option is the subject of ongoing litigation in federal court. Please
check back at this website for updates. Click here to
locate your assigned precinct polling location

On July 15, 2015, the State Board of Elections unanimously adopted administrative rules for the implementation of photo identification requirements, beginning in 2016. North Carolina’s Rules Review Commission is currently considering the following, prior to codification:

State Board of Elections staff held nine public comment hearings across the state regarding the above administrative rules. Both audio and transcriptions of each hearing are available online. Additionally, the agency received many written submissions, all of which are available for review online.

To be added to the list of interested parties for rule-making conducted by the State Board of Elections, email rules@ncsbe.gov or mail to PO Box 27255, Raleigh, NC 27611-7255.